Air brake



May 7, l929- JQMILLS, .1R 1,711,899

AIR BRAKE Filed- March 23, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l JVM,

INVENTOR JHN MILLS Ji?.

BY l J. MILLS, JR

May 7, 1929.

AIR BRAKE 2 Shets-Sheet Filed March 23, 41927' R m@ w w la Mm H O O NEY Patented May 7,1929.

' UNITED STATES l 1,711,8ee

` i JOHN MILLS,y JR., or AUBURNVWAsHING'roNQ AIR mulini.`

Appiication flied March 23, 19727,. serl'i'ailNa 177,674;

This invention relates to improvements in air brakes suchas arev used on railway r'olling stock; more particularly,A the invention relates to certain improvements-in what is commonly known as the Westinghouse engineers brake valve, used in connection lwith,

' the automatic air braking system.

Explanatory to the invention,-it will be here stated that the air' braking .system for which the piesent invention is intended comprises as its principal parts: a brake cylinderv which applies vthe air pressure to thehraking rigging, an auxiliary reservoir whereinthe air pressure is stored,a pressure retaining valve, a trainfpi'pe-for conveyingthe air tocharge tlieiauxiliary'reservoir and causepthe K yrelease of the brakes lasl applied, a triple valve, an air pump, amainreservoir into which the pump discharges and an "engi-j neersbrake valvehaving openings returning to the main reservoir, the train pipe and toy atmosphere. Y. v f f' .The engineersfrvalve isv manipulated by means of a'lliand lever that is adjustable to various positions, namely release position, running position, llap position, service application lposition'and emergency application position. ABy its-manipulation, vthe main reservoir pressure'may'be allowed to'flow intol .the train pipeto cause the triplevalve to openports that permit the auxiliaryreservoir to charge and any air inthe brake cylinder to passto the retaining'y valve from which i it escapes' freely to atmosphere vwhen the re`A taining feature of thevalve is cut out.

f I' VCertain difficulties sometimes arise in the connections. For instance,` the brakesffare applied adjustment ofthe brake valve lever ltow-s'eri'fice application position which causes reduction of'theitrainline pressure and incidentally 'causes the triple/valve to operate to admit airl from' the auxiliary reservoir into the brake cylinder to apply a' brak-` ing pressure tequal to the-amount of the reductionf Tohold the `brakeva}')plied,'the y p I. Y i l Valve,fshowing parts tliereofiin'sectioii taken fhand lever is then'` moved to lapk position at whichthe brake valve neither feeds intonor 'j discharges from'the train pipe. Sincek 'lap position stops allfeedv into the L train pipe, it

followsr that any leakage lfrom the same will then reduce its pressure, thereby'automatically increasing the brakev application al- "movement of the position;

Viewr of the;l vbove undesirable'features, ithas been theprincijpal object of thisfinvention to. provide an improved. means whereby air f may vbe kai'itom'atically Lsupplied to the train line totake care of any leaka'gewhile duction ofthe pressure in the trainy line.l l

VMorel speciff'zally-stated, the object of the invention residesy inv the provision of means y that operates un'derthe control'off air pres-Y su'refin the equal'izin'g chamber and reservoir is in lapposition; this means being disti'n yguished from that li'nechani'si'n already prof vided in ,the engineers val-ve for feedingiair into'the train line while the'brake leverr isin runningpo'sition. i

f "Another Object 0f uid l'admitida is jtd-pr@-V f lvide means'forau'tomatically cutting off the connectionswith the present-'attachment by brake lever to emergency In accomplishing the objectsofgtlie, invention, li have provided the improved details of gconstru'ction, the preferred forms of ywhich are illustrated in' the' `aecompanying drawings, Whe'i'e1n' Figuralfis a sectioi'ial'view of an fengineers braker valve r and the.` attachmentfmbodied inthe present inventiong'the section being ltaken through the main reservoir and V e train'fpipel connections k"of 'the engineers valveJr and centrally throughy the 'attachment A Valve. Y

' Figure 2 is a fview of the v'engineer7s"brakethetrain; is `rui'iiiing with .the brake" lever in .lap position, thus makingw'itpossible "for the engineer :to make 1 and 'retainy anyjdesired. re-

.75' .to feed. airffrom the main reservoir-into the Itrain line ,to compensatefor any leakage from vthe latter while the brake valveleve'r j" ina plane that is substantially atea right' angle; to the showing of 'thef'vvalve' yas lin Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a'plan view'of tliepi'esent device, showing the engineers valvepartly horizontal section;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view ot the automatic feed valve of the present at- Y tachment.

Figure is a sectional view substantially on the line 5 5 1n Figure 4.

Since the present invention 1s in the nat-ure of an attachmentk to the engineer-s brake valve and does not, in any way, effect its mode of operation or construction, the 'engineers valve will only be described in so Y'r'ar as is thought necessary to clearly disclose the purpose and operation ot the combination covered by -this invention; it vbeing' understood that the construction and operation of the engineers valve is ,well under- ,stoodV to those. familiar with the art.

Referring more in detail to the drawvings- 1' designates, in its entirety, 'a brake valve of that type with which the present invention isembodied.4 Thisvalve has a connection 2 whereby air from a main supply reservoir (not shown) may be supplied through a channel 3 to the top of a rotary valve 4 adapted'` to Vbe manipulated by connection with a handle, or lever, 5. Another connection 6 provided at the base ot the valve for .connection with the train pipe. latter connection vleads upwardly througha passage 7 to the undersideof an equalizing piston 8 andalso through a passageway 9 to the seat,` on .which the rotary Y valve4 operates, The equalizing piston operates in a cylindrical chamberlO provided therefor and has a downwardly Aextended guide stem 11 fixed thereto provided with. a `tapered seat 12 at its lower end that acts as a valve for opening and closing a passageway 13 leading from the' passage 7, by which train pipe pressure may bedischarged to atmosphere. Above the equalizing piston 8 is achamber 14 havingconne'ction, through af channel 15, with a pipe fitting 16 whereby ,connection is madewi'th a pressure gauge 100 and with an vequalizing reservoir 101,

which is used simply to add effective volume to the chamber 14 alcove the equalizing y piston.

. Leading upwardly from chamber 14 above the equalizing piston to the under 'face of the rotary valve 4, is a preliminary exhaust port 17 and anI equalizingA port 18. Leadving from the valve seat at the under side of the rotary valve and then laterally to the sidel ofthe valve body, is a channel 19 that delivers air pressure to ay slide valve feed valve mechanism designated, in its entirety, `at 20, which operates to automatically regulate the train pipe pressure while the brake valve handle `is in running position only. After air pressure has passed through this valve mechanism 20, it is carried back Ato the train p-ipe channel 9 through a connecting channel 19a.

A braking application is made by shifting vthe lever 5 kto service application position at which the rotary valve 4 permits a desired reduction or pressure in the chamber 14 above the piston 8. lVhen this reduction I is reached the valve handle is returned to lap position. Reducing the pressure above the piston causes the piston torise and this permits train pipe pressure to discharge to atmosphere through the passage-way 13. lVhen this discharge has reduced the train line pressure a triile below the pressure re-` maining above the piston,.the latter starts down and closes. The reduction oct train line pressure causes the triple valve to operate to admit air 'from the auxiliary reservoir into vthe brake cylinder to apply., a

`braking pressureV equal tothe amount of the reduction. Y

When thebralre valve vlever 5 is in lap position, the valve 4 closes all yports and 'thus cuts off all communication betweenthe main reservoir and other brake valve connections,

and no means isprovided for `feeding-,air into the train line to compensate `for lossvdue to faulty connections.

In order to compensate for any `leakage in i the train line 25 which will Vcause a further reduction of the pressure while the valve" lever is in lap position, I have provided the feed valve embodied by this inventionj'This,

in the drawings, is designated `ineits en- Y connection designated at 6a. The operation .Y

of the valve mechanism 21 is under the` control of air pressure delivered thereto from the chamber 14 in valve 1 through apipe 25 that connects'with the litting 16. Y,

The valve 2l consists ot'a slidable supply valve 27 having a spring y28 and operated by 1 a piston l29 that is seated inits cylinder 30 without packing solastopermit leakage past it when pressure is higher on one sidethan on the other. A coiled spring 315 bears against the outside of the piston tofurgefit inwardly and it is movedoutwardly against` 1 v v the spring pressureby Vair delivered .against the inner side through the connection with the main reservoir. v,Froma chamber 33 atv kthe outside of the piston, lis a channel 34 that leads into a circular cavity v35 provided cen-y .trally with a bush 36 having a port 37 through it'governed by a regulating valve 38 consisting of a stem with a tapered shoulder 39adapted toa seat in the port-37, with a spring 41v urging the shoulder against the, seat and an end portionV of the sternthat.

continues beyond the shoulder against a flexible diaphragm 43 which @verlies a chamber 44 and is-held seated by ring 45 andthe izo vinner end ofacap 46 that is threaded into the'chamber tightly against the' periphery of the diaphragm in an air-tight connection. f

The chamber 44 is in constant communication with the train pipe pressure through a port 47 with which the pipe 24 connects'.

. The purpose of the regulating valve 38 is p1pe pressure in chamber 44 is opposed' by' air pressure from above the equalizing pis" to open or close the connection between the chamber 33 andthe train pipe; itis opened by the diaphragm 43 and, when the `latter i permits, is closed by aspring- 41. Thetrain tonl 8 in the valve 1 that is deliveredinto the cap 46 through the connecting pipe 25V which ,leads from the fitting 16 into the endv of the cap. A coiledspring 60 is'also contained in the cap 46 andfthis bears against the' diaphragm vwith just sufficient pressure to overcome frictional loss, `and it may be adjusted to any desired tension; in the'present equipment, it is adjusted' to exert a pressurer of about ten (10) pounds.V n

When ythe slide valve 27 is at its inner position, its inner. end covers a Vconnecting port 53 between a channel 54 that leads into f the channel 47 to the chamber 44 and a channel 55 thatconnects with the pipe 22 previ tion, it is apparent that under ordinary conl ditionsthe pressurel in thelchamber 14`above the equalizing piston also v,would beseventy (70) pounds. Now, assuming that the engineer has made an application of ten (10) pounds brakingv pressure by reducing the would Vbe held indefinitely.

pressure in the chamber 14 .ten (10) pounds,

vand has incidentally caused a reductionof.

ten (10) pounds in the train line,`and has then shifted the brake lever to lap position at which all ports are,closed,vif` perfect conditions' were possible the braking pressure the With the-present device air pressure in chamber 14, whichY after this reduction vis 'sixty pounds, is communicated ythrough the valve mech-V passage 15, fitting 16 and pipe 25 intothe cap 46 to press inwardly on the diaphragm 43.

through the pipe'24, port 47 intov the cham' ber 44 at the other side of the diaphragm,

and main reservoir air is delivered through y the pipe 22, channel l55, past the piston 29v thru the channel 34 into the chamber 35 and is held'by ythe valve 39. v f

y Now, assumingthat, due to defective pi e Train linev pressure is communicated connections or for other reasons, air lea s v from the train pipe; thls reduces pressure 1n l* the chamber '44 and allows the pressure in thel cap 46 from chamber' 14 to press thediaphragm inwardly to open thev valve`39 and toy thereby admit pressure from themain supply into the trainl line to build this up vbefore action of the vtriple valve causes kany farther applicationof the brakes. VAs soon asy this pressure is` built up the valve 39 closes and cuts off the air from the supply. In order that 'main reservoir pressure may not be fed intothe train line when the engineers brake valve lever is 'in emergency position, I have provided a valve inthe pipe 22 with an actuating lever 71 disposed in such position that it will be engaged by the lever Q5 when the latter is movedto emerg* gency, positionand will be moved so as. toy

close lthe valve70.

k'I claim:

In an air vbrake system of the. character described, the combinationk with lthe vengineers brake valve of a feedjvalve mechanism'having. airconnection with the main` f supply reservolr, with the train line and fywith the equalizing chamber. of the engineers valve, and `'operable :automatically incidental to any reduction of air pressure in f the trainvline while the engineer-s valve is in lap position, to deliver air'into thev train 1 the'equalizing chamber and means for closing olf airconnection to the feed valve by fline from the main supply to maintainv a pressure in the train line equal to that of movement'of the -engineers valve lever to emergency position.

Signed atl Seattle, Washington, this 10th day-of ySeptember,'1926. i j

lJOHN MILLS, JR.kv 

